Town hall bosses have been urged to buy up a row of houses at the centre of a poison gas alert.

Four of six affected homes on Birchfield Drive, Boothstown, Salford, were evacuated in July amid fears that gas from a former tip beneath them could explode.

Salford council and landowners Peel planned to make them safe within six months. But work has not begun – and one desperate homeowner is demanding the town hall buy her house.

Justine Cooper, 44, says three sales have fallen through as a result of the gas probe. She said: "We’ve got an empty property we can’t live in, we can’t rent out and we can’t sell. With one of the sales we were a week away from exchanging contracts and they pulled out. I felt sick. It needs to be pushed forward. I think they should CPO the lot."

Justine, a warehouse stock controller, inherited the two-bedroom semi two years ago from her late step-dad Brian Hales. It is one of a row built on the edge of the former Hancock’s tip in the 1970s.

Leaking gas was detected and monitors fitted in 2003. But last summer, after a series of investigations, residents were moved out due to the ‘potentially significant’ health risk. Residents were told the land would be excavated and four extensions knocked down and rebuilt.

Justine, of Manchester Road, Wardley, Swinton, now has to pay a £1,000-a year council tax bill on the empty house. She said: "We are not asking them for gold, we are just asking them to get the job done. I couldn’t tell you the last time I heard from the council. I don’t see an end to it."

Derek Antrobus, lead member for planning at Salford council, said: "The council, after discussion and consultation with local residents, has made arrangements to resolve, once and for all, the issues caused by the proximity of landfill to some of the houses on Birchfield Drive, and we hope to be able to start work on site soon. It is not necessary to acquire any property in order to do this work."